How To Know If You Are Stressed; Reading The Signs
People who are not stressed cannot recognise the signs of stress in themselves or people around them.
The following are some basic symptoms of stress:
Weight gain or loss
Eating more or less than usual
Not enjoying things you usually enjoy
Feeling tired nearly all the time
Having trouble sleeping, and waking up feeling unrefreshed. Some people may sleep excessively, but this is very rare) Suffering from headaches, backaches, muscle pains or other aches and pains that don't respond to treatment. Headaches are particularly common for those with high levels of work-related stress. Depression can also be a sign of chronic stress.
If you have noticed that these symptoms are happening to you or someone else, it is important to work out the reasons for them. So many people do not recognise the signs of stress because they know from experience that other difficulties or problems can be attributed to stress. This is called "secondary gain". They may also think of their symptoms as a sign of weakness and be ashamed to talk about them because they think their problems are caused by lack of willpower. These people tend not to seek help, and often feel very down on themselves. But when they do find help, they quickly begin to understand that they did not cause the problems but it has been their coping strategies which built up stress in their lives.
The following are some clues to stress that you may not be aware of:
Talking over and over again about a problem
Pacing around the house or workplace, anxious and restless, unable to sit still
Frequent use of the toilet (often more than twice a day) or feeling bloated. Frequent bowel movements may be a sign of infection. High counts of red blood cells in the urine (polycythaemia) also suggest an underlying problem.
when you think others should care when they don't. This can lead to workaholism, which is working longer than usual, or even too much work, with no time for family or friends.
Using drugs or alcohol to cope, this can lead to a further increase in stress.
Excessive worry and anxiety, which can affect all aspects of life.
Relationships are disturbed, resulting in relationship problems such as arguments, jealousy or unfaithfulness.
Feelings that you cannot cope with alternatives to the situation you are facing.
Loss of enjoyment from hobbies and interests, resulting in depression or boredom. Lack of interest in sex is also a sign of stress; some people avoid sex for fear of intimacy and loss of control.
Confusion, forgetfulness and inability to concentrate. The brain needs time to absorb information and process it, if things become too hectic you will struggle to take in what is going on and you may find that you are unable to concentrate at work or learn new skills.
Difficulty sleeping and oversensitive sleep patterns.
Job failure or loss of confidence.
Loss of self-esteem, for example if you feel lower than you deserve in social situations e.g. losing a job interview because of nerves or not being able to communicate with others as well as you used to be able too.
Lack of enjoyment from life in general; symptoms include boredom, apathy, irritability and depression.
You need to remember that stress is not something like a cold you catch and sneeze, or a headache with painkillers. Stress is caused by many things and often comes in the form of messages from our body. The most common stress triggers for people are lack of sleep, being overworked or under-slept, lack of exercise and bad diet or lack of opportunity for exercise. Other things which can trigger stress include:
Stress also affects children more than adults, this is because your child needs to know that everything will be alright, even though they can't talk about it themselves. This kind of helps them feel better about their own problems and helps them cope with difficult emotions. Parents and teachers can play a big part in helping children cope with stress by being trustworthy, helpful, reliable and kind all the time. Some things that may be affecting your child's level of stress are:
People who are stressed often have a harder time than those who are not. The following are some signs of stress in people:
Lack of energy
Sleep problems. Long sleeping hours or insomnia
Low mood
Being anxious, irritable or depressed Staying angry for no reason, getting mad at small things Feeling guilty more easily and blaming others for everything that goes wrong. Sudden changes in behaviour such as becoming angry without an explanation may be caused by sudden problems in relationships.
Excessive worrying about problems that can't be solved.
Suffering from constant headaches (often worse at night and often triggered by stress)
Difficulties concentrating, and not being able to focus or relax.
Spending too long in front of a TV or computer screen because they don't want to be with people. Or they don't want to talk, they rather prefer to play video games or watch TV, They may also burn more energy than usual playing games or watching TV. Some children have this problem because of too much time spent online instead of playing outside with friends.
Difficulty sleeping due to poor quality sleep and constant nightmares or insomnia caused by stress i.e. difficulty coping with stress at night.
Neglected personal hygiene, such as poor cleanliness of skin, body and hair.
Lack of confidence and low self-esteem. Some people might even feel suicidal or be unable to make decisions without help from others.
Hangovers or somnambulism (sleepwalking can be caused by the fight-or-flight response due to the stress)
Being stressed can lead to more serious problems in a person's life such as work, family and friends. Long term stress can also cause a person to develop depression. When someone is depressed it means that they are struggling to deal with stressful emotions inside of them so they don't feel like doing anything.
There are many ways you can deal with stress, such as: psychotherapy, recreational activities and support groups. Psychotherapy helps people by teaching coping strategies that lead to less stressful lives. Such activities could include exercise, meditation or yoga. The following are some things you can do to help reduce your stress levels:
It is also important to make sure that you know what your triggers for stress are and how you can control them so that your life is not being affected in a negative way.
Programs on the subject of stress management have a potentially large impact on quality of life, because they promote general health. The following should be taken into consideration:
Stress management is important in professions where people are dealing with other people's lives. Doctors and nurses have to deal with sick patients and in the process have to work under pressure. Their work environment also changes constantly and they are surrounded by others who are also stressed. Problem solving skills i.e. critical thinking and emotional intelligence can help them deal with this better.
Conclusion
Stress is a normal response to problems in life. Stress can be managed by finding out the triggers for stress and then dealing with them appropriately. By doing this you can help to prevent serious health problems. In moderation, stress can also have a positive effect on health; it is good to remember that the body needs a little stress in order to remain healthy.
"Stress Management: A Behavioral Approach", 3rd ed., Robert L. Leahy and Harold H. Koenig, Editors-in-Chief, New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., (2011), 850 pp., , full text available online at http://www.wiley.